CHAPTER 494: CHAPTER 450 ENCOUNTER ON THE ROAD

The waters at the boundary between the outermost Golden Sea and the Black Sea, Bapodos Island.

This is one of the starting points for many merchant ships leaving the Golden Sea to embark on intercontinental ocean voyages, so pirates often drift here in pursuit of prey.

In the past, although the two Pirate Kings of the Golden Sea were opposed to each other, they at least maintained restraint, avoiding large-scale splits and slaughter within the pirate ranks.

But the current situation is unlike before.

First, beyond the dual kings, the "White Knight" has risen like a new star, with the courage and tactics to challenge the Overlord Hilus, and consecutive victories, his reputation among the pirates is at its zenith.

He is the spiritual beacon for many lawless pirates who scorn the powerful.

It is speculated externally that he should already possess the strength of Tier 3, though his extraordinary profession is temporarily unknown.

Furthermore, this pirate rookie is actively expanding his forces, "inheriting" the powerful fleet from the Hilus people, allowing his "Dragon Cavalry Pirate Gang" to firmly occupy a place among the Golden Sea pirate community.

Like a comet rising, in just a few months, he has implicitly possessed a strong momentum as the third uncrowned king besides the dual kings.

Besides.

Recently, the number of official pirates holding privateer licenses from various countries has surged, their common target being the ill-fated Overlord Hilus, whose actions align with those of the White Knight.

Thus.

The Pirate King "Oathbreaker" Bradley and his minions, who have fully fledged allegiance to a new master, though temporarily unable to move against the White Knight, cannot ignore these opportunistic marauders.

They want to rob the merchant ships of the Anti-Hilus Alliance, and also fiercely deal with this group of brazen privateers.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...

Amidst the roaring artillery fire, two fore-and-aft rigged single-mast ships, the main ship type among the Golden Sea pirate ships, flying the same black flag, are desperately pouring their firepower against each other.

One bears the crown skull blood-dripping saber flag of the "Oathbreaker", the other flies the galloping horse cavalry saber flag of the Sak Empire.

Through the smoke, the two pirate ships have fiercely collided, both lacking formal transcendent beings, their crews waving sabers and firearms, screaming wildly in battle.

"Kill—!"

"Hilus dogs, go home and lick your master’s boots!"

"Courting death!"

"....."

In combat, the morale cannot be overpowered by the opponent.

Without transcendent beings creating a massive disparity, this heinous slaughter with sabers and firearms appears more real, tragic, and bloody!

Rushing sounds...

Suddenly, a sound of a tide surging enters the pirates’ ears.

Yet, they are too busy cutting or being cut, entirely uninterested in any tides.

However, as time passes, the noise grows ever larger, until almost everyone can’t ignore its presence.

"Shark...shark, a huge shark, no, it’s a sea monster!"

In the chaotic battle, a fearful yell, almost breaking, sounded abruptly, followed by a second, a third...

The next moment, the entire battlefield’s atmosphere solidified.

Amidst the humongous noise of a giant creature moving, misty water vapor spread, a massive shadow, far larger compared to the fore-and-aft rigged ship, dragging a long white line swiftly approached the battlefield.

A translucent water film extended from beneath the ship almost to the deck level as the bow lifted, faintly revealing a shark’s head, while behind the stern, the white spray turned into a long fish tail.

From afar, it seemed as if a giant white shark made of water lifted the "Storm Horn" with its back, swaying its large tail near the water surface at high speed.

Whiz—the water sound came quickly and left quickly, passing by the two pirate ships without even slightly decelerating, just like seeing two small ants fighting by the roadside, failing to draw any attention.

As the "Storm Horn" rapidly approached and then moved away, watching the wake like a shark tail, the two groups of pirates finally realized it was a false alarm.

"I almost thought I was done for."

"I...me too."

"That’s not a sea monster...but a quasi-legendary battleship flying the Phaletis naval flag!"

Unlike ordinary pirates who know only to shout "Urah!" "Gold Coins!" "Women!", the pirate officers understand the significance behind this.

Both captains exchanged glances, losing interest in further fighting, quickly organized their forces to retreat, ready to report this news to their respective powers’ high authorities.

Because in the New Continent, not just quasi-legendary, even Level 3 battleships and battleships are limited in number, and well-informed pirates understand clearly whom they can provoke and whom they cannot.

With a new quasi-legendary battleship appearing, it is enough to break the delicate balance among various powers to a certain extent, its ramifications are immeasurable.

Wham—

The "Storm Horn" went full throttle, rapidly climbing to a maximal speed of 22 knots, like a sharp blade trying to split the sea. It rushed along the main route out of the Golden Sea, headed for the Southern Continent on a lone run, stunning countless eyes along the way.

Such a weapon capable of altering the power balance among nations erupting suddenly might likely start another storm, though temporarily it’s no longer Aiven’s concern, but Vice Admiral Gustav and the others need to worry about.

Meanwhile, deep in cautious Aiven’s heart, these minor details can no longer be contained.

Facing the roaring sea breeze.

Aiven stood on the forecastle, next to the [Ship’s Figurehead: Storm Cape] flickering with witchcraft’s spiritual light.

Creak... creak...

The knuckles gripping the bulwark were slightly whitening from exertion, and the wooden bulwark emitted a strained wail.

Anger, worry, and guilt surged into his mind.

He knew that when surrounded on all sides, Hilus would eventually launch a counterattack, refusing to wait idly for death.

Moreover, Hilus would inevitably first target the three strongest under him: Sak, Atlant, and Tulip—whether they had fanned the flames of Hilus’ current predicament or acted as a leading force was irrelevant.

The applicable term at this moment was "freedom of conscience."

Because only these countries and forces could pose a threat to Hilus. To stabilize one’s position, the leader suppresses the runner-up as a matter of course, 24/7.

He simply hadn’t expected that Uncle Gel would become one of the first sacrifices in this inevitable conflict.

Aiven couldn’t imagine the anguish and despair his gentle aunt and young Elante would feel upon hearing this news.

However, he had weathered countless major events.

As his thoughts became clearer, Aiven’s emotions began to calm from the shock of the grim news.

Seeking revenge against Hilus and that Steel Knight was secondary; the key was to confirm Uncle Gel’s current condition. How critical were his injuries—was there still a chance for recovery?

"The intel says Uncle Gel fiercely fought a Tier 3 Knight, meaning that as a Peak Knight, he must have at least achieved equivalent combat power at that time.

The greatest possibility is that he drank the ’Breath of the Giant Beast,’ unleashed its chaotic and immense power to contend with a Tier 3 foe for a short period."

"And even when severely wounded and dying, the garrison commander still advised the family to visit him.

Ocean travels spanning continents take ages. From Slave Bay, riding the northern loop current to the Golden Sea takes at least six weeks. From the New Continent to the Southern Continent, against the current, a regular ship might take nine to ten weeks.

In around two months, even with high-tier clerics sustaining my uncle’s life, it seemed too exaggerated."

Thinking of this, Aiven couldn’t help but bite his lip. He had already thought of the most probable yet despairing possibility.

Uncle Gel might have also... lost control, receiving irreparable bodily damage!

After a brief surge to fend off a Great Knight, the runaway extraordinary power kept him alive but pushed him completely into the abyss.

This age hasn’t grasped the concept of incurable diseases firmly, but for extraordinaries, "losing control" is the scariest incurable illness—far more frightening than straightforward death.

Even the innately pure Knight, once out of control, would cause less harm than other mysterious professions—but turning into a humanoid beast would be the best outcome.

Aiven knew that at "New Inn Port," there was a prison specifically for those who lost control, controlled by the basest of bodily desires. Even alive, they’re just walking corpses.

The crucial point is, "losing control" entails its own spiritual contamination, and the process is irreversible!

At least below Tier 4, Aiven had never heard of an extraordinary from any path possessing such heaven-defying capability—perhaps... a god might?

At this moment.

Tap... tap... tap...

Soft footsteps sounded; typically, nobody on this ship except Milan dared approach Aiven in such a state. Yet, this time was an exception.

"Captain, I’ve seen that letter from the Chief Navigator, Colonel Gel will definitely be alright."

Olivia spoke hesitantly:

"Perhaps... I can..."

Aiven could analyze Gel’s current situation. As bystanders and fellow wizards, Milan and Olivia certainly could too. Regarding spiritual contamination...

Upon hearing Olivia’s words, Aiven’s brow slightly eased, feeling a bit comforted, then he suddenly thought of something and solemnly said to her:

"Captain Roddy, disembark at the kingdom’s midway navy base, immediately!"

By this point, Aiven no longer cared about any disguise. He simply felt the battlefield was not suitable for this lady.

The "Storm Horn" was heading to face the strongest nation, Hilus, no longer a minor skirmish on the New Continent.

Until realizing Olivia’s identity, Roddy’s duty was to share life and death with everyone on the "Storm Horn," naturally without any preferential treatment.

But with guns and cannonballs unseeing on battlefields, even Tier 3 powerhouses couldn’t ensure total survival. Uncle Gel’s status was uncertain—if anything happened to her, it was a situation he never wanted to witness.

With no time to ponder the meaning behind his words, Olivia’s heart raced, blurting out instinctively:

"Why? I won’t go!"

"Obey orders!"

A warrior about to defy a captain’s order was about to be born on this ship.

Eee—

Suddenly, a long cry came from afar.

"Attention all units, two sea monsters spotted one nautical mile ahead, identified as ’Mother of Sea Monsters’ subordinates, wild Sea Demon Unicorne Whales."

Bess’s voice suddenly echoed on the ship.

At this moment, chaos began in the Golden Sea, and even the Great Treasure Fleet suffered destruction amid the Black Sea’s unrest. Where was there peace?